A Charlotte, N.C., man was charged with first-degree murder of a 79-year-old woman whom police said he scared to death. In an attempt to evade policemen after a bank robbery, the Associated Press reports that 20-year-old Larry Whitfield broke into the home of Mary Parnell. Police say he didn’t touch Parnell but that she died after suffering a heart attack that was caused by terror. Can the guy be held responsible for the woman’s death? Prosecutors(公诉人) said that he can under the state’s murder rule, which allows someone to be charged with murder if he or she causes another person’s death while committing or fleeing from a severe crime like robbery—even if he or she doesn’t kill someone on purpose.
But, medically speaking, can someone actually be frightened to death? We asked Martin Samuels, chairman of the neurology department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Absolutely, no question about it.
The body has a natural protective method called the fight-or-flight response(战或逃反应), which was originally described by Walter Cannon，the chairman of Harvard University’s physiology department from 1906 to 1942. If, in the wild, an animal is faced with a life-threatening situation, the autonomic nervous system responds by increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to the muscles, and slowing digestion, among other things. All of this increases the chances of succeeding in a fight or running away from an aggressive beast. This process certainly would be of help to primitive humans. However, in the modern world there is obvious decline of the fight-or-flight response.
The autonomic nervous system uses the chemical messenger to send signals to various parts of the body t
o activate the fight-or-flight response. This chemical is toxic in large amounts; it damages the organs such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. It is believed that almost all sudden deaths are caused by damage to the heart. There is almost no other organ that would fail so fast as to cause sudden death. Kidney failure, liver failure, those things don’t kill you suddenly.
By the way, any strong positive or negative emotions such as happiness or sadness can cause the same result. There are people who have died in intercourse or in religious passion. There was a case of a golfer who hit a hole in one, turned to his partner and said, “I can die now”, and then he dropped dead. For about seven days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon there was an increase of sudden cardiac death among New Yorkers. Why the Charlotte, N.C., man was charged?
A. Because he threatened the policemen to kill an old woman.
B. Because he caused an old woman’s terror and she died.
C. Because he beat an old woman and caused her heart attack
D. Because he murdered an old woman while robbing a bank. Which of the following about the fight-or-flight response is true?
A. The fight-or-flight response was raised and proved by Martin A. Samuels.
B. It is a natural protective method that can’t be found in all creatures but humans.
C. The ancient humans had a superior fight-or-flight response than modern ones.
D. The fight-or-flight response is beneficial to both our actions and organs.What activity can we infer is less likely to damage the organs?
| A．Winning a big lottery. | B．Missing a dead family. |
| C．Watching a horror movie. | D．Listening to a sweet song. |
The purpose of the passage is_________.
| A．to explain why people will die of a heart attack |
| B．to offer some advice on protecting us from heart failure |
| C．to compare different kinds of feelings to cause a death |
| D．to show strong emotions can cause a sudden death |
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题.每小题2分,满分40分）
阅读下列短文,从每小题所给的四个选项（A,B,C和D）中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Now, it’s time for some brief news items.
1. China wins women’s 3,000m short track relay, S. Korea disqualified
VANCOUVER, Feb. 24 2010(Xinhua) -- Twice Olympic champion Wang Meng led the Chinese short track speed skating team to the top podium of women's 3,000m relay with a world record at the Vancouver Winter Games here on Wednesday, as South Korea was later disqualified. Canada took the silver, with the United States picking up the bronze. South Korea's skaters had already started waving flags in joy after crossing the line but later the judges decided Kim Min-jung had impeded(阻碍) during an exchange push.
2. Severe drought cracks Airport’s runway
KUNMING, March. 18 2010(China Daily)Severe drought continues to plague southwestern China's Yunnan Province.
In the provincial capital Kunming, the surface of Wu Jiaba International Airport's only runway has been fractured(断裂的). Repairs have been going on since Tuesday. The airport is closed every day from midnight to seven-thirty in the morning. Airport authorities say the severe drought is the cause of the damage. The airport also needs to repair its plane taxiing and parking area. Chen Zhiwei, Security Dept., Kunming International Airport, said, "The drought has greatly lowered the underground water level. And this has affected the runway foundations. The damage to its surface is severe."
3. School Soldiers
Russian school students will have to do basic military training in their final year of school, the government has decided. The lesson will include learning to fire guns, marching drills and how to deal with a chemical, nuclear or biological attack. The activity is seen as part of a drive toward the education of their love for their country.
4.
Is it hard for you to get up early and get ready for classes? Some students at Winter Park High School just roll out of bed in their pajamas(睡衣)and go to class in their own bedrooms, Of course, their teachers and classmates do not see them because all their class work is on the computer. The Florida High School, the state’s only online program take classes in algebra, American government, chemistry, computer, economics, and web-page design. They also have to go to regular school to attend other classes.
56. Which country ranks fourth in the women’s 3,000m short track relay according to the first news?
A. S. Korea. B. Canada. C. The USA. D. Not known.
57. Which of the following is correct according to the second news?
A. The airport has been closed since Tuesday.
B. Drought caused the trouble for repairs.
C. The underground water level became lower, and that’s why the Airport's runway cracked.
D. Flights were not really stopped during the day, because Wu Jiaba International Airport had another runway.
58. Why will Russian school students have basic military training?
A. To get ready for a military parade.
B. To learn to protect themselves.
C. To gain some military knowledge.
D. To develop their love for the country.
59. The news from Florida can be given a title “________”.
A. Get up LateB. Online School
C. The Special PajamasD. The Popular Subjects
If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research finding of a team of Japanese doctors who say that most of our brains are not getting enough exercise and as a result, we are aging unnecessarily soon
Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why otherwise healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a relatively early age, and how the process of aging could be slowed down.With a team of colleagues at Tokyo National University, he set about measuring brain volumes of a thousand people of different ages and jobs.
Computer technology enabled the researchers to get right measurements of the volume of the front and side sections of the brain, which relate to intellect and emotion, and determine the human character. Contraction (收缩) of the front and side parts as cells died was observed in some subjects in their thirties, but it was still not clear in some sixty and seventy-year-olds.Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple remedy (补救) to the contraction normally associated with age using the head.
The findings show in general terms that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than in towns. Those least at risk, says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White collar workers doing routine work in government offices are, however, as likely to have shrinking (萎缩) brains as farm workers, bus drivers and shop assistants.
Matsuzawa's findings show that thinking can prevent the brain from shrinking. Blood must circulate properly in the head to supply the fresh oxygen the brain cells need. "The best way to keep good blood circulation is through using the brain," he says, "Think hard and engage in conversation. Don't rely on pocket calculators.”
62.The team of doctors wanted to find out ______.
A. why certain people age sooner than others
B. how to make people live much longer
C. the size of certain people's brains
D. the people with more intelligence
63. On what are their research findings based?
A. A survey of farmers in northern Japan.
B. Tests performed on a thousand old people.
C. The study of brain volumes of different people.
D. The latest development of computer technology.
64.Matsuzawa thinks that _______.
A. our brains grow as we grow older
B. the front section of the brain does not shrink
C. sixty-year-old people have better brains than thirty-year-olds
D. the contraction of brains is connected with brain exercise
654.According to the passage, which people seem to age slower than others?
A. Farmers. B. Lawyers. C. Government workers. D. Shop assistants.
Our “Mommy and Me” time began two years ago. My next-door neighbor and fellow mother, Christie, and I were out in our front yards, watching seven children of age 6 and under ride their bikes up and down. “I wish I could take one of my children out alone,”said Christie.
Then we worked out a plan: When Christie takes one of her children out, I'll watch her other three. And when she watches two of mine, I'll take someone out.
The children were extremely quick to accept the idea of “Mommy and Me” time. Christie's daughter, McKenzie, went first. When she returned, the other children showered her with tons of questions. McKenzie was smiling broadly. Christie looked refreshed and happy. “she's like a different child when there's no one else around,” Christie shared with me quietly. With her mother all to herself, McKenzie didn't have to make an effort to gain attention.
Just as Christie had noticed changes in McKenzie, I also discovered something different in each of my children during our alone times. For example, I am always surprised when my daughter, who is seldom close to me, holds my hand frequently. My stuttering（口吃的） son, Tom, doesn't stutter once during our activities since he doesn't have to struggle for a chance to speak. And the other son, Sam who's always follower when around other children shines as a leader during our times together.
The “Mommy and Me” time allows us to be simply alone and away with each child--talking, sharing, and laughing, which has been the biggest gain. Every child deserves（应得到） to be an only child at least once in a while.
58.What is the text mainly about?
A. The basic needs of children.
B. The advantage of spending time with one child at a time.
C. The happy life of two families.
D. The experience of the only child being with mother.
59.Right after McKenzie came back, the other children were ________.
A. happy B. curious C. regretful D. friendly
60.What is one of the changes the author finds in her children?
A. Tom has less difficulty in speaking. B. Sam holds her hand more often.
C. The boys become better followers. D. The daughter acts like a leader.
61.The author seems to believe that ________
A. having brothers and sisters is fun B. it's tiring to look after three children
C. every child needs parents' full attention D. parents should watch others' children
When I worked as a waitress in Chicago, US, my coworkers and I would groan (叹息) whenever we heard someone with a foreign accent coming into our restaurant. We knew what it meant to serve a non–American: no tip. We would work just as hard as we always did, but we might not get paid
Americans have an unspoken rule about tipping: they give tips to almost everyone who offers them a service of some kind. Americans tip their waiters, barbers and taxi drivers. An appropriate (合适的) tip is between 15 and 20 percent of the amount charged for the service, but the charge for the tip doesn’t appear on the bill. The customer is expected to add it on himself/herself.
So if you order $100 worth of food, you are expected to pay your waiter at least $15, making your total payment $115. Tipping less than this sends a message to your waiter that you think they’ve done a bad job serving you. And to leave no tip at all is simply unacceptable.
It’s not that American waiters are greedy. In many countries, waiters are paid a salary for their work. They’ll earn money even if no one comes into the restaurant. This system offers much more safety for waiters than the American version. In the US, waiters know that a night without customers means a night without pay.
Some countries include a tip for waiters – a “service charge” – on the bill itself. Since the tip is included with the other charges, waiters don’t need to worry about people forgetting to tip. But in the US, waiters do not receive a salary, and service charges only appear on bills when there are six or more customers at the table.
Since almost all American customers are familiar with the system, they know to add a tip without being told. But visitors to the US may expect waiters to be paid a salary, or think that the tip is included on the bill. So as much as we waiters loved hearing stories about other places from our foreign customers, we were always nervous when they got ready to leave the restaurant. We were never sure what to expect.
55. Why would the author and her coworkers groan when they had to serve a non-American?
A. They would have difficulty understanding the customer.
B. They had to work harder to get tips from the customer.
C. They might not get any payment from the customer.
D. They thought a non-American customer would be hard to please.
56. If you order $550 worth of food, you are supposed to pay your waiter at least ______.
A. $55 B. $82.5 C. $100 D.$110
57. Why would it be thought unacceptable not to tip a waiter in the US？
A. They enjoy getting tips from their customers.
B. They work harder than waiters in other countries.
C. They are greedier than waiters in other countries.
D. They earn most of their money from diners’ tips.
第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
How to Make a Budget
Most likely, you aren’t the family breadwinner. But doing a small job or getting a weekly allowance (零花钱) would put some money in your pocket. For kids and grown-ups alike, money is easy to spend. If you aren’t careful, it can be gone in no time.
Being responsible with your money is an important skill to learn ----and the sooner you start the better. Whether you are tracking your spending or saving for something special, creating a budget can help you deal with your expenses and plan for the future. All you need are paper and a pencil --- and some self-control.
First, take a look at our sample monthly budget. Then, use a separate sheet of paper to plan your own. In the first two columns (栏), list your sources (来源) of income and how much you expect to earn from them. In the third and fourth columns, list what you expect to spend your money on and the amount.
The left-hand total should be more than or equal to the right-hand total. If it is, you have an effective budget.
Sample Monthly Budget
| Monthly Income |
Amount |
Monthly Expenses |
Amount |
| Allowance |
$20.00 |
Snacks |
$26.00 |
| Money earned selling drinks |
$25.00 |
Music downloads |
$12.00 |
| Money earned babysitting |
$12.50 |
Movies |
$18.00 |
| Money earned delivering newspapers |
$30.00 |
Video rentals |
$10.00 |
| Total: |
$87.50 |
Total |
$66.00 |
Budgets are not complex, but sticking to them can be tough. When planning your budget, be realistic about your expenses. If you know that you drop $18 at a movie, don’t write $12 in that space simply because you wish you were spending less
If you are eyeing a big purchase, such as a $150 skateboard, spend less and save more until you have the total amount. No matter how attractive it may be, avoid spending your savings. One day, you will thank yourself!
51. Who is the passage written for？
A. Children. B. Parents. C. Breadwinners. D. Bank managers.
52. The purpose of making a budget is to help people _________.
A. learn to be realistic B. increase their saving
C. manage their money well D. test their power-control
53. What should people do when planning a budget？
A. Fill in the expenses as they really are.
B. Avoid spending money on expensive things.
C. Set aside a fixed amount of money as savings.
D. List income and expenses on two pieces of paper.
54. Which of the following budgets is effective?
A.
| Monthly Income |
Amount |
Monthly Expenses |
Amount |
| Allowance |
$20.00 |
Money earned walking dogs |
$20.00 |
| Bus fares |
$40.00 |
Movies |
$28.00 |
| Total: |
$60 |
Total |
$48.00 |
B.
| Monthly Income |
Amount |
Monthly Expenses |
Amount |
| Allowance |
$20.00 |
Movies |
$30.00 |
| Money earned washing cars |
$10.00 |
Bus fares |
$10.00 |
| Total: |
$30.00 |
Total: |
$40.00 |
C.
| Monthly Income |
Amount |
Monthly Expenses |
Amount |
| Allowance |
$27.50 |
Money earned selling drinks |
$22.00 |
| Money earned babysitting |
$22.50 |
Birthday gifts |
$28.00 |
| Total: |
$50.00 |
Total: |
$50.00 |
D.
| Monthly Income |
Amount |
Monthly Expenses |
Amount |
| Allowance |
$26.00 |
Video rentals |
$22.00 |
| Money earned doing yard work |
$24.00 |
Birthday gifts |
$28.00 |
| Total: |
$50.00 |
Total: |
$50.00 |